, - - - * ' v;- ?? '.'W'.JJ'TW' ;T - . v?' ? ...... ?? - ??? ?'??;. * ? >-wa ? f- . - ^ - * . ? | t < ?? ' ' m 'J. . ' \~y . '. Jf'"V {?" .# ?? ? - ' ? ' . .3 '? ??| The W\yne sville Mountaineer 1^*1 V g Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At T he Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park ^ ^ 7lst YEAR NO. 27 14 PAGES Associated Press WAYNESVILLE, N. C.. MONDAY AFTKRN(M)N,A1'K1I 2, 1956 $3.60 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties ?1 ,, * \o.vt " 11 ? i ? ?? STANDING before a display of flags from over the world. John L. SUckley, (center) president-elect of Lions International, chat ted for a minute prior |p the banquet here Thursday with Ernest Edwards, left, president of the local club, and Lawrence Leather wood, right, district governor. (Mountaineer Photo). World Looking To America For Ideals Of Life, Some 350 Lions Told By Leader "People around the world are hungry for the American way of life," John L. Stkciley, Charlotte, president-elect of Lions Interna tional, told 350 Lions and guests of Western North Carolina here Thursday night. Stickley was the speaker at a banquet honoring Lawrence Leath crwood district governor of Dis trict 31-A at a banquet at the High School cafeteria. Leathdrwood gave an optimistic progress report covering the first eight months of activities of the district, with Stickley following i? a similar optimistic vein as to the international program of the or ganization. Stickley who will be elevated from first vice president to presi dent at the Miami convention in June, told of his visits around the globe, and the particular impor tance of the continuance of the Crusade for Freedom program. "It is vital that we continue to send messages of friendship, love and freedom to the five captive nations," he said, as he described watching the balloons carry pack ages of educational leaflets behind the Iron Certain. "In China, India, Europe, and other parts of the globe, I have found peoplg hungry to get infor mation about the American ideals which are designed to create a better way of life," the sueaker said. v , "Things that are taken for grant ed here in North Carolina are anx (Continued to Page 1. Section 2) Lieut. Governor Candidate Visits Haywood County Alonzo C. Edwards of Hooker ton, candidate for lieutenant gov ernor of North Carolina, visited Haywood County today, accom panied by Oral L. Yates of Iron Duff, former state representative. Edwards said that he is stressing the "downright necessity Of rais ing the per capita income in North Carolina." "We stand 43rd among the #8 states in average cash income," Edwards said, "primarily because of the low average income among the one-third of our people who live on the farms. Much of the farm problem will have to be set tled in Washington, of course, but I contend that we can do a lot a bout it here at home. For one thing, we need to build food pro cessing plants throughout the Etate. Another thing that would help is the promotion of new sources of farm income, such as an increase in our chicken and egg production. And of course we need small industries in our rural areas to provide full-time and part-time jobs for people who have been do ing farm work only. The Weather Continued mild, partly cloudy with shower*. Official Wijnrs ville temperature as reported by the State Teat Farm: Date Ma*. Mia. pr. March 29 66 43 .70 Mar-h 30. ...... 60 31 March 31 - 60 24 April 1 ? tl 30 ? Road Safety Program Is Formulated A long-range, > comprehensive county-wide safety program was formulated here Friday morning by the 11-member advisory com mittee of the newly organized Hay wood Traffic Safety Council. The program, in detail, will be formally presented to the direc tors of the council at an early date, according to C. C. Poindex ter, chairman. The board of direc U?r. wJil ho a*do up * tewe***- , tatives from e\ery organization in the county, including all civic groups, garden clubs, patriotic or ganizations, each jchool, CDP, fra ternal and business groups, Poin dexter said. On the advisory committee is a young man ftpm each of the six high schools in the county, plus Woody Robertson, Canton. Larry Cagle, Clyde, and Cpl. Pritchard Smith. Waynesville, with Ned Tucker, secretary. Among the proposals is the stag ; ing of a rodeo for each of the schools and then having a county j contest between school winners. The roadeo would be staged by the Highway Patrol, and would be the same program as that used in training patrolmen. Another point was an essay writing contest for English classes in all high schools: speaking con test for high school students, also poster contests. A slogan contest would be open to adults and students, in two dif ferent contests, with limitation to 10 words for each slogan. A driver's code would be made i available to all drivers to sign, and special recognition given to I each student upon receiving their drivers license. I Encouragement would be given to organize safety clubs in each school, with a continuous safety education program being carried (See Road Safety?Page 2> Country Music Program Coming To WTHS Friday The Melodyaires Quartet from the WNOX Barn Dance in Knox ville will appear 6n the WTHS stage Friday night under a spon sorschip of the Waynesville Ki wanis Club. Others on the program will be the Scrubb Brothers, Volunteer Quartet, Ray "Duck" Atkins, Red Rector, Fred Smith, and Jimmy Haynte. Advance-sale tickets will be 25 cents and 75 cents, while admis sion at the door will be 35 cents and one dollar. [' Telephone Service To Balsam Set During Nay About 60 residents of the Balsam area will begin getting telephones Installed about May 15th, it was learned from Southern Bell offi cials today. ' The cables from Saunook to Bal sam have been extended, and pres ent schedules call for installations to begin about the middle of May. The project is estimated to cost about $30,000. Telephone engineers are work ing on the surveys In White Oak. and tentative indications point to granting service to the last rural area in Haywood. "The outlook is extremely bright," an official said. Present studies of the area show that the lines might go into White Oak area via Panther Creek. En gineers have had requests from citizens of the Panther Creek area wantinv ?prvl?? n ?J _ ...vt ??u lull's I'UUIU go through that section enroute to V^hite Oak from Fines Creek. The final decision of the en gineers will be known in about 30 days, it was predicted. Johnnie Ferguson, 38, Killed In Florida Wreck Johnnie Ferguson. 38, a native of Waynesville, was killed in an automobile wreck last -night near Tavares, Fla. He was driving alone, and the burned car was found in a ditch along the highway. He had crawl ed away from the wreckage, it was learned from Mrs. Alvin Ames, a also a winter resident of Funeral arrangements are in complete. but will be held in Waynesville. it was announced here this morning. The deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Ferguson of Mailn Street, Waynesville. He was working at a candy fac tory, and had a new home about half completed. He is survive^ by his widow, and four children, Joan, John Em mett, Charles Wood row and Cary; one sister. Mrs. Ames; two broth ers. Bill Ferguson, Asheville, and Bob Ferguson, Knoxville. ? i 1 > OHiPore Da olrnir 70-Gallon Still In Hemphill Area A 70-gallon copper still In the Hemphill section was destroyed by Deputy Sheriff Gene Howell, state Alcoholic Control Board and federal Alcoholic Tax Unit agents from Ashevtlle Friday night ' The officers found seven bar rels of whiskey mash on the site of the still. The operators of the still, bow ever, did not appear while the officers were on the scene. Carolina Grange Master To Speak At Fines Creek Harry Caldwell, North Carolina state Grange master, will be the principal speaker at a Joint meet ing of the Fines Creeb and Crab tree Granges at Fines Creek School Wednesday..April 4. Refreshments will be served starting at 7 p.m. and the meeting will get under way at 7:30. The meeting is open to the pub lic, and has been announced as "very important" for all farmers. Miss Ann Coman Crawford, a student at Woman's College at Greensboro Is spending her Easter holiday with her aunt, Mrs. Wil liam I. Lee. She will return to Greensboro Tuesday. $55,000 Raised For New Episcopal Church Building (?l ? . ? ? a ? ? ? r wages ana casn lor tne 173,000 building project of Grace Episcopal church had reached $53,000 this noming. according to Bev James if Perry, Jr., reel or of the church Rev. Mr. Perry said those in ?harge of the campaign predicted he fund would total $60,000 by his weekend. Of the total, there is $10,000 In ?ash, the report showed, and indi cations point to a rash fund of a $25,000 by early fall, when actuaT construction is expected to get un der way. The $55,000 pledged to date la from 62 family groups of the church, it was announced. The church recently adopted Plans for erection of a church on the corner of Haywood and Miller Streets. Tentative plans call for'a seating capacity of over 200, 4 | *CARSON C. FOARD of Wavnesvllle displays sam ples of uranium (small dark plfCfl, used in mak ing the atomic bomb, and spodumcne (lame while piece), used in the production of hydrogen bombs. Both came from Western North Carolina, along with a large number of other minerals which Mr. Foard has collected between Avery and Macon counties in the past three years. Many of his specimens are now on display at the T. S. Mor rison-Foard farm equipment store at 405 Depot St. In' his right hand. Mr. Foard holds a pros pector's pick which he uses to dig semi-precious stones and commercial minerals. (Mountaineer Photo) Paving Of Pisgah Motor j Road Provided In Plans J The old Pisgah Motor Road~ from the end of N. C. 112 to Wagon ? Road Gap will be paved, Don J. J Morriss, supervisor of Pisgah Na- ( tional Forest, said. ? Morriss announced plans to pave ( the present road along with three other projects in Western North Carolina, the total cost of which mr He said bids would be fel In Ra leigh by the State Highway; De partment for the Pisgah and bther road projects. Other projects announced In clude: Reconstruction of N. C. 129 from two miles north of Topton nine miles into Robbinsvllle. Paving the remaining five and three-tenths section of the Nanta hala Road west of Franklin across Wayah Gap to Kyle. Grading of a 15-mile new road from Rosman to the end of a Blue Ridge Parkway section at Beech Gap. The eight-mile Pisgah stretch will join N. C 112 with N. C. J 276. Cost of the project will be shared equally between Forest 1 Service and State Highway De partment. The Pisgah Motor Road was t built by the late George Vander- fl bilt as part of the road system on e his estate. Long popular as a t short scenic route, the road in re^ cent years had fallen into disuse r and down to bed-rock making it d difficult to maintain with gravel.. It connects Pisgah Lodge with i; (See Paving Road?Pag^ 2) t Building Loan Stockholders J Set Dividends n Dividends totaling $42,000 are c being paid stor k holders of the " Haywood Home Bnildin* and Loan Association. it was an- d nounred toda> by L. N. Davis, f secretary-treasurer of the $7- a year-old organization. The dividends will be shared by about 1,500 persons, and is ^ (he largest semi-annual dividend i paid during the organisation's history. The dividend period is from last October to April 1, and 1 Is figured at the rate of J1/-.! per 1 cent. The dividend Just prior to the current one amounted to about 1 $15,000. ? ? | i j 1 Vlarch Rainfall \ iVas 4.13 Inches ; Rainfall for the month of March ' otailed 4.13 inches, according to 1 igures reported to The Mountain eer from precipitation at the Moun-< 1 ain Experiment Station. T^te heaviest rain during the nonth fell on March 14. when the lownpour totalled 1.18 inches. In February, the total was 7.81 , nches?the wettest February in ] his area in the past 12 years. Cherokee Boy Finds Catching Rattlers j A Profitable Hobby By MRS. T. G. HIGHFILL Menich Catoclstcr, a smart and enterprising Cherokee bey. is finding his hobby profitable, and the field of competition is not crowded. Menich catches snakes for sale. He claims his hobby is easy. The young Indian latches rat tlesnapes. copperheads, cotton - mouth moccasins and some oth ers that are not quite as danger ous to handle. The secret to catching a snake, says Menich, is, "never be afraid of them. As for that, never be afraid of animals." He flrds his best huntinx (round is in and around the rock cliffs of Soco Mountain. He describes Ms work as rerjr easy. Pointin* out that you just "pin the snake to the (round wKh a forked stick?putting the stiek just back of the head; tie a cord around the snake's neck, and taas your catch into a sack." "Rattlesnakes always warn you before they strike, by rattiinx the rattles on their tails. You lust look and listen." the snake catcher pointed out. Mrnieh said: "The copperhead is a pretty snake. His neck is the I color of copper, but he is by far more dancerous to catch than the 1 rattler. "The copperhead will stand up and strike without warnine," he said. While the copperhead is the most dangerous to rapture, tlir water moccasin is the hardest of the reptiles to catch. "If a moccasin senses you are afraid, he is liable to chase you. ( If on the other hand you are not afraid and Just stand there look inr him squarely in the eye, he'll always stop, and often turn haAlr **' DMa One summer Menich rauxht and sold R rattlers, besides num erous other harmless snakes, in cluding the black snake, and lit tle green garden snakes. Once he caught a cub bear In front of his home. He fed and , eared for the bear, which becam very gentle, and friendly The worst thing about the cub was his appetite?he ate like a gang of pigs. Menirh has thousands of acres for his hunting, and few compcti- , ?org. I roard Finds Prospecting [ntriguing By BOB CONWAY Mention prospecting and the verage person around here is kely to think either of an old esert rat und his burro in their ndless quest for gold, or else a nodern-day Forty-Nlner with his leiger counter searching t or ranium. However Uu iml necessaryto o out west to hit prfydlrt; you'll Ind most of thla country's valu ble minerals right here in West rn North Carolina ? a number f them in Haywood County itself. ?lust last week it was reported hat a rich vein of ore ? contkln ng gold, silver, copper, and iron ? has been discovered on a 6000 icre tract of land in the Balsam irea. owrnd by Toip Lee of Way lesville. Tests are now being made 0 determine ihe size of the vein >f ore and its potentialities for nining. . Two other residents of Waynes ,ille who rcuiize the richness of iVestern North Carolina minerals ire Carson C. Foord and Otis Lugar. both members of the South >rn Appalachian Mineral Society, .he latter being chairman of the irganization's trip-planning com mittees. Mr. Foard, who has been collect ing minerals for only three years, nevertheless has an extensive col lection of semi-precious stone? and a number of valuable commercial minerals ? including those used in the manufacture of both the atomic and hydrogen bomb. Displaying a part of his collec tion in his new farm equiment store on Depol St., Mr. l-'oard pointed out that most of the speci mens came from Ihe area of West ern North Carolina lying between Avery, and Macon counties. Among his collection is uranium 1 used in the A-bomb) and three jres from Mitchell, and spodu mene 'used in the H-bomb I from Cleveland County. Despite its great value at pres (See Foard Find*?Page t) 213 Dogwood Trees Delivered Here Saturday A total of 2)3 dogwood trees were delivered here Saturday to persons who placed orders through the Chamber of Commerce. Of that number, 133 were pink dogwood, and 80 were white. The trees, bagged in burlap, were distributed to purchasers at the First Baptist Church parking lot. Specialist Gives Advice On Growing Strawberries . ? Advice (in the production of -trawberries was given to 75 Hay j wood residents last week by H. M iCovington. extension horticultur ist from N*. C. State College. ' The special meeting on growing strawberries was held In conjunc tion with the distribution of 90, (KH) strawberry plants to 125 coun ty residents last week. The plants were purchased through the county agent'* office for $7.80 per 1.00Q . ) plants. Mr. Covington gave the follow ing advice on the cultivation and fertilization of strawberries; Plants should be set In rows four feet apart, at interval* of two feet in the row. , A balanced 8-41-8 fertiliser should be used. (Albert Ramsey, assistant county agent, also advised using one bog (See t) i / . Sale County Home, 140-Acre Farm Set The 140-acre Haywood county farm. and 18-room former county home, will be offered at auction Wednesday, April 4. The property goes on the auction block after be ing the subject of several court hearings and injunctions last fall and earlier this year. West and Gossett are the auc tioneers and the sale will begin at 9:30. The commissioners are offer ing all the farm which has been divided into small tracts, with the : exa'Cjation of a small cemetery! plot. This plot figured prominent-' ly in the court case last fall. The date of the first sale last September was postponed when surveyors were unable to carry on their work because of the tall corn crop. The new date for the sale was set, and a few days prior to the sale a group of eight citizens ob tained a court injunction and stoo ped the sale. Later Judge Dan K.'Moore dis solved the Injunction and the board of commissioners set Into motion plans for a new date and set the sale date. Just a few hours prior to the scheduled sale, papers were served before dawn on the commis sioners. as e second Injunction was obtained upon a request of 108 plaintiffs This hearing in December was before Judge George B. Patton, who ruled that the case, by con sent, be continued to the January term of court before Judge J. Will Pless. The contttruance was based in part on the fact that the commis sioners ha Saunook Girl Is Injured In Collision Miss Doris Burgess, 21, of Sau nook suffered a fractured right leg and lacerations of the head when the car in which she was riding, driven by Mrs. Louise Mace Burle son, 21, of WaynesvBle. struck the rear end of another car driven by Edwin Theodore Ford, 24, of Sun set Part. Canton, on the Huywood Buncombe line at 1 p.m. Saturday. Highway Patrolman V. E. Bry son said that Mrs. Uurlesutn's car, a 1954 Chevrolet, struck Ford's car, a 1949 Ford, when the latter stop I pod suddenly in the highway with | out giving a signal. Miss Burgess was admitted to the Haywood County Hospital. Mrs. Burleson was treated at the hos pital for bruises on her right cheek, and then dismissed. Ford was not injured. Patrolman Bryson charged Ford with failing to give a hand signal and Mrs. Burleson with following too closely. Damage to Ford's car was estim ated at $300 and to Mrs. Burleson's at $500. In another county accident, both drivers were arrested when two cars sideswiped on Highway 19A-23 at Balsam at 8:15 p.m. Friday. Cpl. Pritchard H. Smith report ed that Wayne Eulan Ward, 21, of Sylva, was driving his 1951 Dodge four feet over the center line when it collided on a curve with a 1953 Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by Donald Dean Smith, 19, of Ratcliffe Cove. Ward was Charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident. Smith also was charged with failure to report an accident and driving without an operato's li cense. Damage was estimated af $200 to the passenger car and at $S0 to the pickup truck. R. B. BELK R. B. Belk Heads Local Ford Agency R. B. Belk, formerly of Charlotte, has assumed the presidency of Parkway Motors. Inc., 202 Haywood St.. Waynesville's Ford Agency. Before coming here. Mr. Belk was associated for six years with the Carolina Ford Tractor Co. in Charlotte, last serving with that as dealer development manager. Prior to going to Charlotte, the new president of Parkway Motors, resided in Dillon, S. C., where he was a tire distributor for nine years and a DeSoto-Plymouth-GMC deal, er for five years. While in Dillon, Mr. Belk served as a city councilman, after having been electrtTby mSm